Gospel Fest draws appreciative crowd

A large and exuberant crowd squeezed into the Central Chapel AME Church Wednesday evening for the 13th annual Gospel Fest, which ushered in this year’s AACW Blues Fest.

A rousing “This Little Light of Mine” led by Gerry Greene kicked off the event, followed by the Mighty Men of God from the United AME Church of Xenia. The choir of the Springfield Church of Jesus and the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers all sang spirited and moving numbers, with audience members clapping and.joining in. At the end, the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers brought members of the audience up to the front to sing “Amazing Grace” together.

The Blues Fest continues this weekend, beginning at 6:40 p.m. Friday with the opening ceremony in the Antioch Amphitheater, followed by J. Vaughn, then Karen Patterson and 5YZ Men. The Daddy Mack Blues Band of Memphis will close the evening.

The festival continues with the Innovation Stage outside the amphitheater at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11. That evening begins with 5YZ Men followed by Bluzion. At 9:45, the Nerak Roth Patterson Band takes the stage, and the festival wraps up with a performance by Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones of Dallas.